Spirit level



Feb.19, 1929.

R. H. JAY

SPIRIT LEVEL Filed July 2. 1.9.26

2 Sheets-Sheet l ATroRNEYs INVENTOR Ta/076 E w 74 I8 Y ,4 9 J l* Feb-19,1929. 1,703,006

, R. H. AJAY' SPIRIT LEVEL Filed July 2, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 L11/o 4fINVENTOR EQ2 df- J ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 19, 1929.

' UNITEDpsiufrrsv RALPH H. JAY, OF EUGENE, OREGON, ASSIGNOR ,0F ONE-HALFTO A A1,703,006 ENT OFFICE.

FRANK J. GRAYUM,

vPAT

or EUGENE, OREGON.' Y l SPIRIT LEVEL.

This invention relates to improvements in spirit levels, one of theimportant objects i ment being such that the jars of ordinary employedas a plumb,

Vuse will not render'the level inaccurate.

Other objects and advantages appear in the following specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which, Figure 1 is aperspective view of approximately one-half of alevel embodying theimprovements, j j l Figure 2 is a longitudinal section ofthe centralportion of the level, j"

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of an adjacent end portion of thelevel which is Figure 4 is a detail horizontal section taken on the line4- 4 of Figure 2,

. Figure 5 is a detail cross section the line 5 5 of vFigure 2,

taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 2, f

Figure 7 is a detail cross section taken on the line 74-7 of Figure 3,

Figure 8 is a detail inverted perspectiveV i view of the locking -platehrllflftelf' Te' ferred to,

Figure 9 is a detail perspective'view of lthe associated adjustingscrew,

Figure 10 is a detailhorizontal section taken ou tlm line 10-10 ofFigure 3.

briefly amplifying the foregoing duetory statementv it is thepurposeinvention to provide a spirit level,

introof the which when adjusted, will withstand the knocks and jarsofordinary use without getting out of order. level glass or.bubbletubebecomes broken, and while this glass hasl ample protection inthe improved level, provision is made never-` theless., for thereplacei'nent thereof. Furthermore, the mode of adjustment of the levelglass holder is simplified to a considerable extendend the adjustment islocked when made. Access-to the adjusting elements is had only through-a cover or surface plate,

tampering with the adjustingelements being thereby discouraged. l

Reference is made'to` the drawings which disclose the central structureand one end structure, the former being used forleveling,

ItV sometimes happens that the y 1 cess'21 beingfnecessary to permitlongitudinal threaded part 25.

192s. serial 120,229.

the latter for plumbing. But inasmuch as the two plumb structures arealike (there bemg another at the remote end of the level, not shown), adescription and illustration of one will suffice. i

A rim 1 extends completely around the periphery of the metal stock 2,and for the purpose of `increasing the protectionA that the l metal rimail'ords the edges extend beyond the sides of thel stock` as clearlyshown in Figures 1, 4, 5,1 6 and 7. The level, when laid down, will restupon the edges of the rim, and contact with more fragile parts is thusavoided The stock has thickenedport-ions 3 andv 4, 'i

parts of the stock adjacent to said thickened portions being reduced uat- 5 and provided with openings 6 facilitatinggrasping 'the I glass orbubble tube 8 and holder 9 thereof are readilyvisible fromeither side ofthe -level.`

- The endsof the opening Zare covered by glass Figure 6 is -a detailcross sectlony taken on panes ,10 whichfare -held in placeby metallicframes or rimsllsecuredby screws or other fasteningV4 means 12. vThellevelglass lis mounted lengthwise of the sightvopening 13 of the holder9. The extremities ofthe tube are imbedded in eementplugs 14 whichoccupy f holes 15 and 16 in the holder. The latter is threaded toyreceive the threaded metallic plug 17. This plug has a projection 1Sthrough which a screw `19 giving the holder pivotal suj'iport. Compoundlateral and longitudinalrecesses20 and 2l' in the level stock receivethe projection 18 as dernily shown'in -Figure.4. The lateral portion ofythe recess is necessary.. for permitting sidewise movement of theliolderinabstracting it from the opening 7',the longitudinal re-vmovement of the holder in releasi-ng the stirrup 22 from the adjustingscrew 23. The latter occupies a bore whieh'is of twodiameters, thevsmooth part 24 kbeing larger than the The threaded vpart'of thescrewturns in the'threadedbore 25. Turn,- ing of the screw 23jto theleftproduces an unscrewing motion in respectgto the'bore -25 and araising of the nearest-end of the holder 9, the stirrup endbeingsituated between .a pair of integral flanges 26 uponthe screwshank. The upper surface of the flanged screw'head is radially serratedat 29 (Fig. 9)

' adjusting screw.

but the center of the screw head is slotted at 30 so that a screwdri-ver may be applied for turning the screw. v

A recess 31 both in the stock 2 and rim- 1 receives the locking plate 32which has serrations 33 extending radially from the central hole 34 forthe purpose of engaging the serrations 29 and holding the screw .i3locked in position when the screws (Fig. 2.) are turned down. Thesescrews ,have flanges which engage on the underside of the loching plate.Recesses or notches 37 (Fig. 8) are cut into the trans terse edges ofthe lool:- ing plate and suitablyv shaped to receive the flanges and theheads of the screws. The arrangement provides a swivel mounting thefunction of which is to raise and lower' the locking plate when thescrews are turned.

' It is thus clear that the screw 23 can be locked in its variousadjustments. The serrations or teeth 29 and 33 (Figs. 9 and 8) are fineenough to hold the screw at fractional adjustments. The integral flanges26 fit the bore 24 rather closely and serve to guide the They will holdthe adjusting screw true to thev bore 24 even should the screw headbe'stationed so high to ybe entirely out of the bore. A surface plate 38covers the recess 317 it being held in position by screws or other means39.

The end structure is much on the order of the foregoing centralstructure. Reference is had to Figures 3 and 10 for the former. Thethickened portion 4 of the stoel; has an opening 7a containing theholder 9LPL in which the level glass 8a (or in this-case the plumblglass) is held by ceinent plugs 142L as before. The glass occupies thesight opening 13a. A screw 19 provides the pivotal mounting for theholder. It passes through the projection 18a of a metallic plug 17a.

A locking plate 32LL performs the same function as before, but in thiscase the serrations (Fig. 10) are parallel and extend crosswise of thelocking plate in order to match the similar serrations 41 on the freeextremityl of the holder 9a. rlhe holderis adjustable on the arc of acircle and the various serrations are intended to hold the adjustment atwhatever position it might be.

.The foregoing free extremity of the holder 9a is cut-away at thecorners, producing what might be called a heel but also producing a pairof shoulders 43. It is with these shoulders that the conical ends 44 ofset screws 45 engage. These set screws are carried by adjacent metallicparts of the level. rlhe locking plate is movable in the recess 31a byscrews 35a which h ave heads and flanges as do the screws35 in Figure 2.rlhe surface plate 538i1 is held in place by screws 39a thereby Vtoconceal and protect the adjusting mechanism.

The operation may be readily understood. The use of the spirit levelrequires no explanation as this is well known to those engaged inparticular building arts. `t adjustments of the central and endstructures that the operation is concerned.

Assume that it is required to replace the level glass or bubble tube 8in the central structurein Figure 2. One of the cover glasses andmetallic frame or rim 11 (idig. 1) is removed so that access maybe hadto the opening 7. Upon removal of the screw 19 the holder 9 can be movedback into the longitudinal recess 21 sufficiently far to disengage thestirrup 22 from the adjusting screw 23. rlhe 'projection 18 is thendrawn forwardly through the lateral portion 20 of the compound recessand the holder 9 is withdrawn from the opening. The metallic screw plug1'? is removed, and the cement plugs 14 are dug out. A new glass tube isput in place and cemented, wnereulpon the plug 17 is screwed back inplace, and the holder 9 again put in position on an order reverse to theforegoing.

rlhe holder 9 is subject to considerable adjustment, and it is thereforenot `necessary to 'take unusual pains in placing the levelglass 8 inposition. Any slight inaccuracy in the position of the glass 8 can becompensated for by the adjusting .screw 23. The screw 23may be held invarious adj usted positions by a locking plate 32 which has radial teethor serrations 33 on the underside engage similarV teeth or serrations 29on the flange head of the screw. Upon turning the screw in reference tothe fixed thread 25 the flanges 26 swing the holder 9 on its fulcrum 19by means ofthe stirrup 22. `The adjustment of the holder is in the areof circle. The adjustment of the end structure in Figure 3 is slightlydifferent. The'locking plate 32a is iirst backed away so that theserrations or teeth 40 and 41 disengage; One or the other of the setscrews is moved inwardly so that the Vholder 9a is shifted to theA rightor left depending on which one ofthe conical ends 44 1s brought to bearagainst the shoulders 43. After the adjustment is made the locking plate32a is moved back intoposition, whereupon the'remaining and otherwiseidle set screw 45 is turned inwardly until it too engages the adjacentshoulder of theV holder 9a. The range of adjustment of the vholder 9 inthe two directions in which it it can swing is limited to one-half thediameter of the set screws 45, and obviously the screws 45 may be madeas large as desired in order that the range of adjustment 'may' beincreased.

Tampering with the adjusting elements in both the central and endstructures is discouraged by the presence of the surface plates 38 and38a. lt isevident in Fig-s2 and 3 that lthe adjustment of the holder 9or 9a can be made in either of two directions there being sufficientroom for such adjustments asy will disposey the bubble tube 8 or 8a inay position.

is with the ll l') suitable for laying tile or pipe. lWhile theconstruction and arrangement of the improved spirit level is that of agenerally preferred form, obviously modifications and adaptations may bemade without departing from the spirit 0f the invention or .the scope ofthe claims.

I claim:-- I j l. A device of the character' described comprising astock having an opening with a communicating bore, said bore havingacommunicating recess, a level glass having a holder situated in theopening and having a stirrup extending into the bore, means at the endopposite to the stirrup providing a piv otal mounting for the holderupon the stock,

a screw havino` a air of flanges receivinr C b b the stirruptherebetween and having a head with a serrated flange adjacent to therecess, means in Xed position in the bore in which the screw can beturned thereby to'rock the holder upon its pivotal mounting, a lockingplate situated in the recess having a hole through which the screw headis accessible and having corresponding serrations adjacent to the screwflange, and screws swivelly carrying the locking plate for moving thelocking plate in the` direction of the screw headvthereby to engage thevarious serrations and hold the screw in adjustment.v

2. A device of the character described f comprising a stock having anopening with a compound lateral and longitudinal recess at one extremityand a bore at the opposite eX- tremity, a levely glass and holdertherefor' situated in the opening having a bifurcatedv Ystirrup at oneextremity extendinginto the bore, a screw adjustable in the bore having.

a pair of flanges receiving thebifurcated stirrup therebetween, pivotmeansr at the opposite extremityof theholder, and a projection' uponsaid end of the holder receiving said pivot means, `said projectionbeing movable into the longitudinal recess then laterally in the lateralrecess for disengagement of the bifurcated stirrup from the screw andremoval of the holder from said opening after removal of said pivotmeans from the projection.

RALPH H. JAY.

